Dear Seattle Community

This happened

So now. A barrage of angry (and rightfully so) Facebook posts. Leading to arguments on both sides. And comments about people wanting to kill cops.

Does anyone care what I think? Well, here's what I think.

I have a hard time with this issue because I am not someone who works as a legal agent of safety for our community, and I am not a disadvantaged person with mental health issues or substance abuse problems.
It has been an extremely hard couple of years for officers in this state, and especially after an officer-in-training watched her superior get shot to death in my neighborhood last Halloween I CANNOT imagine the fear that is built into the daily work for a police officer. I also CANNOT imagine the way it truly feels to live in a system that underfunds services to help people who need help when you are one of those people.
While throughout history police officers have done things to tarnish their reputation for many of us, and homeless people have done things to sully the way some view human rights and privileges, none of us can argue that life is precious and fleeting. We all have a respect for our own lives, and we should have that same respect for other's.
It seems the real problem (because John T. Williams is already dead) lies within the structure of the society we all live in. Can't there be some way we can use this awful event as an example to learn from, and move forward with the way we train our officers, aid our homeless, and construct our governmental system?
What mayor McGinn is suggesting is on the right track, but still perhaps a tall order for a system that:
A. Let John T. Williams live on the streets
B. Allowed officer Kirk to feel he had to pull a weapon on a suspect prematurely
and C. Let him off the hook even AFTER the police chief Diaz said officer Kirk was in the wrong in is action.

This problem is bigger than weather Officer Ian Kirk was in the wrong or not.
People have strong opinions surrounding issues like this (as they should) and I think that says something. If we are all willing to argue with one another on our social networking devices, then we also need to be willing to have the larger discussion when it matters. And where it matters. About WHAT matters.

Officer Kirk resigned, and please, if you see him serving you a subway sandwich, don't throw things at him. His life is already ruined. Be angry at the system that essentially turned away from him instead of helping him learn from his actions. And when you see the activist groups with signs for John T. Williams, please don't snicker or chide them. They are mourning a person some consider a valuable part of our community.

In fact, please don't do anything at all, unless you are willing to have a voice in fixing the bigger issue. Our community is small, and could easily be one where support, understanding, services, and rules are all reasonable and accessable. This isn't New York City and this isn't Law & Order.

Let's look at the mess, and do the right thing to never let it happen again.

Mama